I’m flying to Paris for my third consecutive Olympic Games! As I was packing, I realized how many people were behind all this and remembered all those small and big stories. Every piece of my equipment reflects humanity, friendship, understanding and the desire to be part of something bigger.
Looking back at each piece of my gear, from tees to the bag, I recall specific names and faces. I realize how much I want to thank everyone. Every piece is imbued with positive energy and joy that each person put into it. Some included a note wishing success, others a small gift or a talisman. Even these small things will fly with me to Paris.
The Olympic Games are something absolutely extraordinary for golfers. Most of the equipment is different from what I usually have at tournaments. Some things need to be different, some I want to be different. It might seem like a lot of fuss for nothing or a lot of work for just one week, but all these little things live their own lives even after the Olympic Games.
Take the bag, the largest piece of equipment: it certainly won’t end up in the basement. The first one, from Rio de Janeiro, is still displayed in the office of the Secretary-General of the Czech Golf Federation. The second one, from Tokyo, I have at home, still deciding how to put it to good use. Maybe all the three will come together in one place for a while to highlight those eight years and three unforgettable tournaments. Perhaps they will motivate me to get to a fourth in Los Angeles in four years.
When I say team, I mean my current, close Olympic team with whom I’m flying to Paris on Friday – my husband Sean and my mental coach Petr Jan Řehák. The rest will arrive later to support me at the tournament, as will my closest family. The full team, as I see it, including all the people and partners, is much larger, and I am very well aware that without any of them my journey under the five rings would not have been possible.
Let me just try and name at least those who selflessly helped me with the equipment, ensuring I have everything I need and that everything complies with the strict Olympic rules:
Sebastian Cochrane, Martin Doktor, Boris Gorin, Adélka Odehnalová, Milan Jaroš, Zbyněk Kemr, Zdeněk Kovář, Adéla Koukalová, Zdeněk Matějašek, Zuzana Matějková, Sophie Mills, Alena Kindová, Kateřina Prášková, Martin Rominger, Christine Neubauer, Marek Sajner, Monika Tauchen and Míša Valášková.
Is someone missing? Of course, the biggest thanks go to my mom Simona, dad Petr, brother Lukáš and my Sean.
We have everything packed and checked twice to make sure we don’t forget anything and that nothing is missing in Paris. These might be just things, but they are very important to me, both in terms of my game and personally. The most precious thing they give me (even though it weighs nothing and cannot be really packed) is all the positive energy that everything from you is charged with.
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